The Ontario Legislature resumed sitting on Monday, amidst growing labour unrest in our public schools.
The leadership of Ontario’s teachers’ federations are furious with Premier Dalton McGuinty. The union leaders have supported him through four consecutive provincial elections. He has demonstrated his appreciation for their support with pay increases for teachers in excess of inflation every year he’s been premier— every year except this one.
This year, the government is asking teachers’ union leaders to accept a two-year pay freeze, with many complicated exceptions.
Faced with a deficit of around $15 billion this year, rising debt interest costs of $10 billion, a stagnating revenue outlook, and the prospect of even more credit downgrades, the premier has finally woken up to the fact that Ontario is on a downward spiral towards a fiscal crisis unless he acts now.
For years, the Ontario PC caucus warned him this day would come. We urged the government to moderate its program spending increases, and maintain control of overall expenditures. They laughed at us. And they voted down my own initiatives to draw attention to the growing provincial debt and the need to pay it down when times were good.
Teachers’ union leaders, the government and the legislative assembly all need to work together, and put the needs of our students first. There is no place for partisan politics in Ontario’s classrooms. There never was.
Our teachers are dedicated, caring professionals. The vast majority just want to teach. Their union leaders should let them.
We must always encourage and support a culture of continuous improvement in our schools. We must measure progress and recognize success. We must never forget that the future strength of Ontario will be largely determined by the achievements in our schools today.
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In July in this space, I wrote about the McGuinty government’s decision to end the Slots at Racetracks revenue sharing agreement.
My column explored the devastating impact it will have on Ontario’s horse racing industry, and the spin-off jobs it supports.
It is estimated that 60,000 jobs are in jeopardy, largely in small town and rural Ontario.
We suspected the government hadn’t done its homework prior to making the decision, hadn’t properly consulted, and did not understand the full economic impact of ending the Slots at Racetracks program. That belief has been confirmed to be accurate.
An area constituent asked for the government’s economic studies on the horse racing decision, through the Freedom of Information process. He received it, and gave it me. We released it to the news media on August 14.
It clearly shows that a four-page “economic impact note” was generated as “Confidential Advice to Cabinet.” However, it is dated March 14, two days AFTER the government announced its decision to end the Slots at Racetracks program. Either they didn’t do their due diligence, or the report was intended to be a whitewash after the fact to justify a decision that had already been made.
Considering 60,000 jobs are hanging in the balance, either way it’s a disgrace.
—Ted Arnott is the MPP for Wellington-Halton Hills